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Motivational Theories(03:01)

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Frederick Taylor's theory was that money motivated workers. He believed in what he called scientific management— piece-rate labor workers depending on what they could produce in a certain amount of time. Some companies still operate on the Taylor principle.

Maslow's Theory(03:09)

Abraham Maslow took the human centered approach to motivation. In 1954, he published his theory on the hierarchy of needs. His idea was that employees have a range of needs that have to be met in order for a productive and content worker.

Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory(03:01)

Frederick Herzberg believed that motivational factors were divided into two groups. He realized that people and circumstances were always different, but that the common thread was employee participation leading to high levels of motivation.

Demotivated Employee Examples(05:03)

Being openly and aggressively criticized with customers in the shop, an employee found it embarrassing and intimidating. An employee who worked for an association that promoted colleagues to managers found it demoralizing. When employees do not receive praise they often times will not work to their full potential.

Employee Participation(06:05)

Pradeep Jey, HR Commentator states that an involved workforce is a key component to a company's success. He believes many employees today are still not as motivated as they could be. The Japanese Kaizen groups view their companies as a community.

Employee Shareholders(02:14)

Some businesses offer their employees company shares that is likely to improve their motivation to work harder. The Divine Chocolate Company was set up by a cooperative of cocoa founders. Its shareholders received checks from their unions.

Company Image and Propaganda(03:02)

In 2010, the Cadbury chocolate company was taken over by the United States multinational Kraft food company. Toni Brooks, HR Commentator compares large companies and smaller company takeovers. Disgruntled employees want to work in a happy environment.

Repetitive Roles(02:33)

Ben describes an example of when he worked for a property company and the directors were spending money that they should not have been spending. Ben was frustrated because there was nothing he could do to change their behavior despite all of his professional training.

Explaining Lack of Motivation(02:29)

Carla worked long hours in an office that was not doing well, staff gossiped that she was not as good as she portrayed herself. Rena explains how she was put in situations that she was not prepared for. Sharon worked for a housing association where they changed from a cooperative to a hierarchy.

Wrong Rewards(01:42)

Mariette Castellino, Change Facilitator explains that employees have to believe that what they do is important in order to keep motivated. She states that if you make tasks too easy for people to do, then they stop putting forth a worthwhile effort on the job.